The Art of Healing
by kaktus0-0
Summary: No one has heard from Ash in months. When a mysterious invitation makes its way to many of his past companions, they question his safety (and sanity). Set 13 years after Ash first begins his journey, friendships and rivalries have changed. Will everyone be able to set aside their differences for long enough to save Ash? And what does healing really entail?
1. One

**Welcome!**

**I don't own Pokémon or anything here. Well, except for everything I just wrote.**

* * *

Full Summary:

_No one has heard from Ash in months, but honestly, who would think twice about it? He was still on his journey to become a Pokémon Master, after all. Suddenly, a mysterious invitation makes its way to many of his friends and rivals, causing them to wonder if something's gone wrong. Set 13 years after Ash first begins his journey, things have changed for the friends and rivals, whether good or bad. Tragedy befalls some. Some experience fame and fortune. Has Ash gone insane? Will everyone be able to set aside their differences for long enough to find out? And finally, what does healing really entail? _

* * *

**May 20, 2008: The Wallace Cup; Sinnoh**

"I-I just can't believe it- Solidad's Lapras is unable to battle! The victor, and our newest Top Coordinator, is Drew!"

The 21 year old coordinator's breath hitched in his throat, unable to believe what he had just heard.

He had finally done it.

He had won a Grand Festival.

He was a top coordinator.

_Breathe…_he reminded himself as he forced air into his lungs.

He had so much to do, so many people to thank…

He forced himself to shake all that from his mind and smiled at the audience as he approached the pink haired coordinator cautiously. Solidad was one of his best friends and mentors; Drew wasn't sure how he should respond, or how she would respond. The two Top Coordinators reached the center of the ring. Drew offered his hand in a friendly manner; however, Solidad pulled him in for a hug. At 5' 10", Drew had finally passed up Solidad in height (which he never let her forget, just like how she never failed to remind him that he cried at his first loss). The pink haired coordinator pulled away and smiled at the new Top Coordinator. She pulled him in and whispered "I'm so proud of you-I'll see you later," then pulled away.

For the first time in years, Drew felt himself smile-truly smile. All the years of training and losing and winning-it was finally worth it. He looked up into the stands as the applause began to die down, hoping to see some friendly faces. He smiled; up on top was Dawn, and Zoey, who had given him a run for his money-she was _strong_. Continuing to scan the audience, he saw Harley, but his smile faltered when he realized that the one he was looking for wouldn't be there. Drew already figured that May wouldn't show up, but he couldn't help hoping.

As soon as Solidad walked backstage, the arena flooded with cameras and reporters begging for the new Top Coordinator's attention.

Drew had to admit, it was rather overwhelming.

"Do you have anyone you want to thank?" a small, young reporter gently prodded before she got overrun by the others. This was the only question Drew wanted to answer; he pushed through the horde and found her, and stated "First off, thanks to my Pokémon, especially Roserade and Butterfree. I'd also like to thank my mentor and good friend, Solidad, for guiding me through my journey as a coordinator. Thanks to my late mother for everything she's done for me…" Drew pursed his lips for a moment before he gave one last thanks. "And thanks to May Maple, for being my rival. I wouldn't be here without any of you guys."

That seemed to satisfy the young reporter. She jotted down a few quick notes, muttered a quick "Thanks," and escaped the horde of prying eyes.

Drew stood hopelessly in the center of the crazed reporters, hoping that they would get hungry or something and just go away. He sighed.

"_This is what I get for winning this ."_

The festivities commenced a few hours later. After finishing his press conference and dodging the fangirls that had decided to surround him all night, he finally found solitude and Solidad.

"How's it going?" Drew asked nonchalantly as he approached Solidad, unsure of whether to sit or not. A simple welcoming nod let him know it was alright. Solidad smiled warmly as he took a seat next to her. "So, how's all of the attention, Mr. Top Coordinator?" she teased as she took a sip of wine. Drew rolled his eyes, simply shaking his head. Solidad smirked. "Thanks for the shout-out, by the way. I really am proud of you, although I am a little upset with myself. It's about time you beat me," she said, prompting a chuckle from the both of them. "On a more serious note," she stated, "I know your mother would be proud, and I think May would be too."

Drew frowned.

"Speaking of May…" he mused, "have you heard from her lately?" Solidad shook her head uneasily. "I thought you were keeping in touch with her," Drew stated, almost accusingly, eliciting a glare from the older woman.

"I _have_ been," she nearly growled, "but she hasn't written in a couple months, and I haven't been able to get a hold of her. I'm kind of worried…" Solidad sighed, fidgeting anxiously.

Drew shrugged. "May's a big girl; she can handle herself" he responded defensively to Solidad's dismay. "Drew," she said carefully, "you haven't talked to the girl in almost what, five years?" This elicited a slow nod from the young adult, who replied "Well, I did send her a letter after she quit, but I haven't gotten anything back." He shrugged. "It's not like I haven't thought of her. I just haven't had the time to go and check up on her."

"Exactly. You have _no_ _idea_ what that girl's been through, Drew." Solidad retorted accusingly. "Of _course _you thought of her," she mumbled, her nearly hostile expression disappearing, causing Drew to become flustered. "What?" he snapped, not liking the smug look on her face. Solidad shrugged knowingly. "You should go see her," she mused, carefully watching Drew's face for the reaction she knew she was going to get.

The incredulous look on Drew's face made Solidad laugh lightly. "Oh, come on Drew—it wouldn't be the _worst _idea in the world," she continued. "The timing's perfect-May's semester must have ended recently, and you just won the Grand Festival, and your Pokémon could use a break. Drew, you haven't seen her in years." she said gently. Drew sighed. He really did miss her happy-go-lucky attitude.

As weird as it was to admit it, May had probably had the biggest impact on his career. She was a ray of sunshine; a whirlwind of a character, and, he had to admit, had turned into hell of a coordinator.

And she smelled kind of good.

And was kind of cute.

"Drew," Solidad said hesitantly, interrupting his thoughts. Intrigued, he turned his gaze to the older coordinator. "I want you to know that a lot has changed since you both met. May's had a rough couple of years since her mom passed. I don't want you going in with false expectations."

Drew rolled his eyes. "Solidad, I haven't even agreed to going."

"But you were thinking about it," Solidad countered knowingly, prompting a tinge of red to spread across the young man's face. "And," she continued, "I know you're expecting the happy, snappy rival that you had feelings for, but things have changed. May's changed."

Solidad pursed her lips and looked sympathetically at Drew, who again, rolled his eyes.

"Solidad," Drew stated matter-of-factly, "I was 16. I didn't even know what feelings were then."

It was Solidad's turn to roll her eyes. "Yeah, right," she muttered. She shook her head. "Anyways, if you ever decide to visit her, I have her address. You should too, since you supposedly wrote a letter to her."

Solidad shot a look at Drew, who just yawned in response. "I think I'm going to turn in for the night. It's been a long day," he said wearily. "Sure," Solidad replied skeptically. Drew always found a way to duck out of conversations he felt uncomfortable in. As he walked away, she remembered her original reason for stopping him.

"Hey, Drew?" Solidad added. The coordinator turned around only to be handed a fancy envelope. Furrowing his brow, Drew looked at the letter to see that it was from Ash Ketchum.

* * *

**May 22, 2008: Goldenrod City**

"Fetch!" Leaf yelled as she threw a stick across the yard. She giggled as she watched the dopey young Zigzagoon run after the stray stick. This summer, Leaf had found her home in the Pokémon Shelters. After the semester at Goldenrod University ended, the 24 year old didn't fail to keep herself busy. She found that a few hours playing fetch with a Zigzagoon provided to be more fun than just sitting idly.

Not that Leaf knew how to sit idly. As soon as she'd entered the prestigious Goldenrod U, she enrolled for so many extracurricular events that she couldn't keep them straight; the Psy-chi club, PokeMentors, playing with the concert band, and working in the library (along with her full course-load and her sky-high GPA) took up all of her time, and summer break provided a nice break from everything. However, Leaf liked to keep herself busy, so she spent her summers at the Pokémon Shelter, crocheting, and catching up on her reading (for fun!). Dedicating herself to a Masters of Environmental Science was hard work, but she loved it. She loved researching and studying the lakes and streams, wading through the wilderness, sleeping beneath the stars…

Leaf sighed happily as the Zigzagoon returned to her, stick in mouth. She was really looking forward to this summer.

"Leaf! There's a letter for you!" a young volunteer shouted, bringing an elaborately decorated letter over to her.

Leaf furrowed her brow as she took the letter. She rarely received snail mail anymore; with technology, she didn't have to. She noted it was from Ash.

Opening it curiously, she wondered why Ash had written. It had been YEARS since she had seen him…how did he track her down? She pulled out a piece of paper as a Purrloin jumped up in her lap. Leaf scratched behind the feline's ears as she read what looked like an invitation. Her eyes widened as she read the following:

_Please join us for our wedding!_

_June 8th, 2008_

_Accumula Town, Unova_

Her jaw dropping, she looked at the invitation again, making sure she actually read what she just read. Not noticing anything different the second time around, she realized that it just said Ash was getting married.

Ash, her childhood friend, who never used to know the difference between a girlfriend and a girl friend. It just would not register in Leaf's mind.

She also noticed that it didn't say anything about who he was getting married to.

Leaf smirked. _"Maybe he finally figured Misty out," _she mused as she read the invitation for a third time, making sure that she really wasn't missing anything.

Leaf set the stray Purrloin back on the ground, and walked to find her PokeNav. Fumbling through the numbers, she couldn't find the one she was looking for, nor, did she know if she actually _wanted_ to make the call. Nonetheless, she walked into the office, grumbling how much easier it would be if they put the number on the online listing. She opened a drawer and shuffled through a phonebook until she reached the "O"'s.

She hesitantly dialed the number.

"Professor Oak? I need to talk to your grandson."

* * *

**May 22, 2008: Professor Oak's Residence**

"Gary's out; he could be back at any time," Professor Oak said to the young woman on the phone. "Who's calling, if I may ask?"

"Who's talking about me?" Gary yelled as he slammed the door, throwing his satchel and papers down while kicking his shoes off. The professor sighed; no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break his grandson's horrible habits, one of which was making a mess as soon as he got in the house.

"Oh dear god," Leaf whispered, causing Professor Oak to chuckle a bit before he handed the phone to his grandson.

"Hellooo, this is Gary" the Pokémon Researcher said seductively.

"Gary, it's Leaf. I can't believe I'm calling you, but…"

"I can't believe you're calling me either." Gary interrupted suggestively. "I miss you too."

Leaf scowled. She couldn't believe she used to be friends with this guy. "Gary, I'm only calling for information. Jeez, you're impossible." she muttered under her breath.

"Aww, Leafy, I'm hurt," Gary whined, "Why can't we…"

"You know what, Gary?" Leaf interrupted his stupid facade, her frustration shining through her voice. "Just let me talk to your grandpa-maybe I'll actually get to ask my question."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Seriously." he said apologetically. "Ask away."

"Did you get a wedding invitation from Ash?"

Gary furrowed his brow. "Come again?" he replied.

"I am not even kidding. I just got mine today." Leaf said, realizing how ridiculous the question itself seemed. "Just check your mail."

"Alright…give me a minute" Gary murmured as he set down the phone and walked over to the kitchen table. Sure enough, a fancy envelope addressed to _Gary Oak _was sitting there, begging to be opened. He grabbed a butter knife and opened the letter carefully as he walked back towards the phone. He stood in disbelief as he slowly picked the phone up.

"What even…" he muttered, still unsure of what he had just read.

Leaf frowned. "I'm guessing you got it?" she asked. She had thought it was a joke at first, but now she wasn't so sure.

"Yeah," he replied. "But I can't find out who he's getting married to…maybe they forgot to leave a card or something in mine…"

"No, there wasn't anything in mine either. That's why I called you. I figured you might have an idea. Maybe it was Misty?"

Leaf hoped it was Misty. That girl had it bad for Ash the last time she had seen her.

Which was almost ten years ago.

Gary frowned. "I don't know-I haven't talked to Misty in _months._" he replied. "Actually, I think Ash was in the Unova Region a few months ago, which is where this wedding is…"

Both stumped, they both promised to dig for information on the mysterious invitation.

* * *

**May 23, 2008: Petalburg City**

A young, brunette girl was riding her bike down the street in a sunny Petalburg City. Stray strands from her messy bun flowed in the comfortable breeze. As May approached her apartment, she jumped off her bike and opened her mailbox to grab the newspaper and saw a fancy letter addressed to her from…Ash?

Closing the mailbox, she opened the letter curiously as she turned to walk up the stairs to her apartment. Before she got to look at said letter, she was greeted by Skitty at the door, rubbing against her pajama pant leg affectionately, begging to be fed. May smiled as she grabbed some food and put it in her bowl, to Skitty's relief. May sighed, smiling at the young Pokémon devouring her food. At least she still had her Pokémon. They had been nothing but helpful in her struggle with depression.

Surprisingly, they had taken her departure from coordinating very well. Not that they weren't upset-but they were concerned for their trainer's behavior.

She grabbed her bottle of Cymbalta as she walked past. Popping the cap, she grabbed a glass of water and braced herself. May dreaded swallowing pills; this was a struggle within itself.

"Take the pill and you'll feel better. It'll be over before you know it…" she mumbled to herself as she shoved the pill in her mouth and quickly gulped down water, trying to avoid the queasy feeling that occasionally accompanied the action.

She sat down, looked at the date on the newspaper, and rubbed her neck, sore with the ache of restless nights.

_May 23, 2008._

It had been 11 years since she began travelling with Ash.

3 years since graduating from high school.

1 year since she stopped coordinating.

May pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to bring herself back to reality. She couldn't dwell on the past; it always had a way of instilling anxiety within the brunette. The early days with Ash and Drew had been some of the best days of her life. Everything was so simple (well, maybe not...) and their innocence made anything seem possible. The worst of their problems were Team Rocket and defeating their rivals. May missed this more than anything.

Adulthood was hard on her. Two days after her eighteenth birthday was the accident that she struggled accepting. This next year Max would go off to college (she wasn't sure where, but the kid was smart-no, brilliant. He was destined for big things) and May wouldn't have him around to help her out on her hard days. She ate, slept, went to class, repeated (this was fairly obvious given the state of filth in her house). May's motivation was faltering; her will to even get up in the morning was a tireless facade of lying there worn, and knowing that she would have to get up eventually.

May had received a few letters from Ash, telling her about his journey and his successes. These always brought a smile to her face; Ash was one of the most driven people she knew, and it was comforting to see someone succeeding based on hard work, rather than her brother succeeding because he was a genius-not that she wasn't proud of Max, too. Speaking of Ash…her eyes moved over to the letter begging to be opened. She looked at the clock.

1:49 PM

May decided that she would take a nap, and then open the letter.

Speaking of letters, Drew had also written after she quit coordinating. Out of concern? She shook her head. They had grown…close, for the lack of a better word. They did, after all, travel together in Johto, but beyond that, had parted 5 years ago when May wanted to go to be the Kanto Top Coordinator, and Drew took his journey to Sinnoh.

_May,_

_I had heard through the grapevine that you've quit coordinating. It's a shame, really. You were (well, are) a very talented coordinator, and I'm trying to figure out what in the world could have pulled your love for coordinating from beneath you. I know we haven't talked in a while, but I can't fathom you just QUITTING. I tried to call you earlier this week, but maybe I got the wrong number from Solidad._

_Anyways, I hope all is well._

_-Drew_

The letter was rather disheartening and confusing, to be frank. If anything, Drew sounded angry, leaving May feeling frustrated and upset. He didn't know why she quit coordinating, and frankly, neither did she.

The only person she had really kept in contact with was Solidad, but May hadn't replied to her last letter for a couple months. It wasn't personal, really. May liked to think that she was too busy, but honestly, she just felt unmotivated.

May walked over to her room, deciding a nap would be a nice way to clear her head. She changed into a pair of pajama pants; it wasn't like she had anything to do today. She looked in the mirror and noted the dark circles under her makeup-free eyes. The nightmares hadn't ceased for 2 years, no matter how many different medications she tried…she had given up with insomnia MONTHS ago. Now she just accepted the horrible visions that flooded her mind at night, rather than the horrendous side effects offered by the sedatives.

However, the nightmares didn't tend to bother her as much if she took a nap in the afternoon, so the brunette plopped down and stared at the ceiling until she felt sleep take her away…

"KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK"

All of a sudden May heard someone knocking on her door. Jumping up, she wiped the drool from her face and started heading towards the door. "Who even…" she grumbled, knowing that the only two people who knew where she lived were her dad and Max.

May looked through the peep-hole, her eyes widening in shock.

* * *

**May 23, 2008; Unknown Location**

"Shh, I think he's awake"

Everything echoed. Ash groaned as he struggled to force his eyes open. He tried to pull his hand up to touch his pounding head, but he was restrained.

He felt weak. Confused. Everything was spinning. Struggling to remain conscious, he glanced around the room.

2 figures on the ground around him. A pair of legs? At least he thought they were people; his vision was too blurry to tell. All he wanted to do was go back to sleep, but something wasn't right…where was he?

"Butterfree, use sleep powder."

Ash winced in pain; the voice bounced back and forth in his already pounding head. "No…" Ash groaned weakly, as he felt his eyes close, forcing him back into an unconscious state of mind.

* * *

Thanks for reading, and please don't hesitate to review :)


	2. Two

**May 24, 2008. Jubilife City**

Ah, Jubilife City. Today brought nothing but sunshine and happiness to the residents of this beautiful city.

Well, most of the residents.

A 19 year old rushed through the heavy doors of the private office, coffee sputtering out of the Starbucks cups and splashing on her hands. Under the crystal chandelier beat the heart of the young designer, just waiting to prove herself. She cursed inwardly before saying "I'm sorry Ms. Bertram; traffic was heavy-"

"I don't want to hear your excuses, Berlitz," the middle-aged fashionista replied cruelly as she turned around in her office chair to retrieve the hot beverages. Setting them on her office desk, she folded her arms across her chest, asking "Do you think Armani's designers make excuses?"

Dawn shook her head. A cruel, fake smile coming to the older woman's face, she continued. "Correct. They see their deadlines, and they meet them. Simple as that. Now go give these files to the receptionist to fax. Then you are excused"

Dawn nodded complacently, grabbing the files and heading out the door. As she walked down the hallway towards reception, Dawn couldn't help but wonder why she had taken the internship at Cherubi Designs. Her hope was for a place where she could exemplify her talent for fashion, whether it be for people or Pokémon. Sure, Cherubi Designs was on top of the fashion world right now.

However, the internship had been nothing like the girl had hoped. Dawn had a set of ideals about the glamour and glory of the fashion world. She had watched _The Devil Wears Prada_, but she thought that was an exaggeration.

She soon found out it was not.

A few steps later she was at the receptionist's desk. She was at the center of the floor of the building; each section of the building all met here; therefore, this was the busiest place in the office. Dawn glanced at the clock on the wall reading "6:13." It would make sense for them to all be at home, seeing as it was a Saturday, but there was a huge photoshoot with world renowned coordinator Robert Perch of Hoenn. Dawn grimaced; sure, the guy was good at what he did, but he was also in his 30's, and without his makeup, he looked like he was nearing his 50's.

An innocent giggle took Dawn out of her state of disgust as she looked towards the source, which was exactly where she was headed. "Please tell me how you feel about Robert," the blonde receptionist mused as Dawn made her way towards the desk. Dawn grimaced. "He's a really good coordinator! I really hope I can be as good as he is some day! And uh, I'm really glad he wears makeup," she replied, wrinkling her nose. Becky was one of the most helpful people she had encountered in this adventure; Dawn even considered her to be a friend. Despite being in her mid-20's, the blonde's kindness and nurturing qualities resembled a mother's, whom she missed dearly. "Hey Becky," Dawn said as she handed the files over the desk, "Could I get you to fax these for Bertram?."

The receptionist smiled as she looked at the Cherubi Designs logo on the cover page and nodded. "Thanks Dawn! I'll have this done in a jiffy." She winked as she stated "We're not just number one in the world for our high quality fashions, we're also number one in customer service! OH!"

Dawn cocked an eyebrow as the girl threw the papers on her desk and rolled over to the filing cabinet on the opposing wall, digging through it erratically. Becky turned around and gave Dawn a sheet of paper. "Here's your request for time off!"

The bluenette looked at the paper, surprised that the company gave her…all two weeks off that she had asked for? A smile slowly spread across her face as she reread the paper, making sure she wasn't mistaken. Becky looked up curiously at the girl. "I'm assuming that you're off?" she questioned, mentally noting Dawn's smile. Said girl nodded. "I didn't think it would get it approved; I was so sure she hated me." she mumbled as she folded the sheet of paper.

Becky laughed. "Dawn, she hates everyone," she replied, knowing exactly who she was talking about. "As long as she has someone here to hound, she'll do it. Where are you going, anyways?"

"To a wedding!" Dawn replied. She had received her invitation in the mail a few days prior, and she was eager to travel to see her old companion and some old friends.

Dawn walked over to the coatrack behind Becky's desk and grabbed her purse, slipping the sheet of paper in the side pocket. "I guess I'll see you in a couple weeks!" she said as she made her way towards the elevator.

She nearly skipped out of the door; Dawn could barely contain her excitement-she loved everything about weddings (she already had her own planned out).

Also, she couldn't wait to see her old companion and travel with Kenny and Zoey again.

* * *

**May 23, 2008. Petalburg. **

Drew knocked on the door hesitantly. He shifted his eyes from the piece of paper holding the address Solidad had given him to the number on her door.

_452 Brook Street._

He knew there was something going on when the brunette quit coordinating a year ago. As much as he hated to admit it, she was _good. _Who else could make it to the final round of three different Grand Festivals, lose, and come out with a high heart and an optimistic outlook towards the future? Drew hadn't made it to her last festival, but he had watched it on PokeTV-it was one of the most captivating performances he had ever seen in his career. Paired against Robert, May and her Pokémon's battle was like a entrancing dance; however, Robert knocked her out with a cheap shot, causing himself to lose points, but ultimately, rendering May's Pokémon helpless.

Drew shuffled his feet nervously. It had been a good 5 years since he had seen her. They had both gone their separate ways after their journey through Johto. Seeing as he had decided to settle down in the area for a bit, he figured it couldn't hurt to visit his old rival (also, Solidad was worried).

He also assumed that she too got the invitation to Ash's facade, and he figured it might be fun to travel with his old rival.

The _click_ of the door unlocking snapped Drew back to reality. Taking a step back, he allowed the door to open; His breath hitched in his throat as soon as his former rival pulled open the door, not quite knowing what to expect as he looked up expectantly.

The dark circles under her eyes were indicative of a lack of sleep. The slight breeze shifted some of her bangs from the messy bun that her brown hair was secured in (a look that suited her, Drew had to admit). May looked worn and weary-her eyes no longer had their tantalizing glow he had once found irritating, yet fascinating; they had changed to be rather dull, and her pajama pants indicated that she had either a. been sleeping, or b. just didn't care.

And she was not smiling. In fact, she looked a bit confused. "Drew?" she stated as she furrowed her brow, surprise coming from her voice.

Drew thought this reaction was odd until he remember that they hadn't seen each other in years.

May leaned against the door frame, her confusion unfaltering.

"Stare much?" she prompted, interrupting his train of thought. He smirked, stating "Sorry. Long time no see, May. There's a lot to take in."

Sighing, she replied "You know, I don't really have time for your attitude right now," causing him to raise a brow. Doing a once over of her, his eyes moved up to meet her blue orbs. "_You know_," he mused, squinting suspiciously as he refusing to break eye contact "it looks like you have a lot more time than what you're admitting." May paused before she shrugged indifferently, obviously uncomfortable with the eye contact. "Mind if I come in?"

Again, May shrugged and took a step back. Drew figured that was the closest thing to a reaction that he was going to get. He shoved his hands in his pockets, taking a step past the girl towards the inside of the home of his old friend.

"Uh, you can sit in here if you want," May muttered as she looked in the disaster of a living room. "Sorry for the mess," she said apologetically, glancing towards the green-haired coordinator as she picked up some used Kleenexes from the night before, "but as you can probably tell, I haven't had many guests lately." Drew took note of the tissues she was trying to hide as he took off his jacket. He moved a newspaper from the loveseat and sat down. "I would have thought you were entertaining the queen with this cot," Drew mused as he set the newspaper down on the glass coffee table in front of him, causing the brunette to roll her eyes. He turned around to look at the cyan curtains muffling the sunshine, making the room dark and dull. "You mind?" he asked, gesturing towards said curtains. May looked up from the garbage she was filling. "Have at it," she replied as she put the garbage back into the kitchen.

After opening the curtains, Drew took this opportunity to take a quick glance around the place. It looked a lot better with the light shining in. The lime paint seemed brighter. She had a bookshelf on one wall filled with books. Her laptop was sitting on the coffee table with the newspapers. The open setting allowed him to see the small kitchen; he looked to the right and glanced into what seemed to be her bedroom. At that precise moment, May promptly ran over and slammed the door, glaring at him.

She rolled her eyes as cursed herself inwardly, still not quite believing that out of all the people in the world Drew would show up at her door.

Why was she cleaning up for him anyways? It's not like she was there to impress him.

_Oh, screw it._

"I like your place." Drew interjected into her thought process. "It's a little small, but I'm sure it works well for you, since it's only you here…right?"

May grabbed a couple cups of chamomile tea from the microwave and offered one to Drew before she sat down on the beanbag chair across from the green haired coordinator. "Yeah.." she breathed, taking a sip of her tea. May couldn't figure out why he was here. Perhaps Solidad had talked to him…

"So Drew, what brings you here, five years later?" the brunette asked, with what Drew sensed as a hint of bitterness in her voice.

Not that he didn't deserve it.

"Well, May, I just wanted to visit an old rival. Is there anything wrong with that?" he replied, bringing his eyes up to meet hers. She furrowed her brow. "I suppose not," she mused, "but you know, a call, or something would have been nice."

Drew frowned. "May, I wrote to you." he said in a matter of fact way. "I did try to contact you. So has Solidad. She's convinced you've jumped off the map for good." He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, eyeing the slightly squeamish girl in front of him.

May sighed. "I know; I-I've just been busy." she replied, her eyes shifting to the newspaper. "So," she said in an attempt to change the subject, "I hear you're Sinnoh's newest top coordinator."

Drew smiled _(DID HE JUST SMILE_?!). "Hell yeah! I still can't believe it." he replied excitedly. "I mean, I always knew I was good enough to be a top coordinator; I've just been waiting for the perfect time to go after it."

May rolled her eyes, a hint of a smile teasing her lips. "Suuureeee…" she mused, rolling her eyes as Skitty came up to her and started rubbing herself on May's leg.

It was strange. May had expected Drew to come and chastise her for quitting coordinating; she hadn't expected to…enjoy his company. She felt some of the heaviness that had been weighing her down for so long lift as she petted the affectionate Pokémon.

"Anyways," Drew interrupted, "that's not why I'm here."

The brunette cocked an eyebrow. Maybe she spoke too soon…

"So I got this odd invitation from Ash for a wedding," Drew said slowly. May's eyes nearly doubled in size, her disbelief shining through her incredulous expression. "Come again?" she asked.

Now it was Drew's turn to raise his brow. "You didn't get one?" he asked, pulling a golden invitation out of his jacket pocket. "I thought you were one of his best friends." May turned her eyes towards the invitation, shouted "OH!" and jumped up from her seat to grab the invitation she had hastily thrown on the table and forgotten about. She opened the envelope as she walked back to her seat. An entertained Drew chuckled at the brunette's sudden antics. This was the liveliest he had seen her yet today, which was kind of strange, considering that used to be the norm for her.

His train of thought was interrupted by a shrill "Wait, ASH IS GETTING MARRIED?!"

Drew shook his head. "That's what I just said, May," he replied bluntly. She turned an icy glare towards him. "Shut up Hayden. It doesn't say who he's getting married to…" she muttered as she leaned against the doorway, searching the card for any sign of a female or male counterpart. Which didn't exist.

"I figured, since I was in the area, maybe we could travel together?" the emerald eyed coordinator suggested, ignoring what May had just said. He looked at her, and before she had the opportunity to object, he said "Come on. It'll be just like old times. Minus Harley."

May grimaced, remembering their old, perverted rival. Celebi knew what that guy was up to…."I don't know Drew…" she sighed, "I haven't travelled in so long."

Drew shot a glare at her. "I know," he stated accusingly, causing the brunette to feel a little uneasy. "May, I don't think you're doing anything too exciting. Don't you want to see your former companion get married?" He paused for a moment. "Wait, it doesn't say who he's getting married to?" he asked, pulling his invitation from the envelope. "That's odd…" he muttered, his brows furrowed. "I didn't think Ash would be dense enough to forget his own fiancée's name on their own wedding invitations…"

Looking down at the confused grass head, May frowned. "There's something wrong here," she mused. "First off, the only person I can imagine him marrying is Misty, and I know she would slaughter him if he forgot her on their own wedding invitations."

"I doubt she'd even let him touch the invitations," Drew agreed, looking at May curiously. "So, Ash has gone insane. Want to go check it out?" he asked again as he flashed a killer smile.

May sighed. It _had _been a long time since she had travelled, but she was worried. "Fine," she said bluntly as a smirk found its way to Drew's face. "But only because I'm worried about Ash! It's not like him to do something like this. These invitations are too fancy for his tastes." she said quickly. Drew rolled his eyes. "Go grab your things, July," he teased as she walked into her bedroom to start packing. "I heard that," she muttered dryly.

* * *

As May packed, she grumbled "What am I doing…"

There were so many people she had ignored to this point. It's not like she wanted to…she just…couldn't do anything. She had been struggling for so long with so much baggage; as odd as it was, this was the first time that she had felt any relief in a long time.

She walked into her bathroom and leaned on the sink, looking at the face in the mirror. The girl staring back just looked…blank. Lonely. Empty. She had spent so long holed up in her house that she feared it was changing her.

It was like the loneliness sucked the life out of her.

May took a deep breath, splashing water on her face to quell her nerves.

She hated to admit it, but she was a mess. She turned around, letting her arms go slack as she slowly slid down to the floor, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. She leaned forward and rested her arms on her knees, knowing that she could only sit idly for so long before Drew began to wonder. Maybe she should just lock herself in the bathroom until he left.

But she didn't want to be alone.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, May emerged, dressed with her bag in hand; yet, she seemed hesitant.

Drew frowned as he stood from the kitchen chair. "You alright?" he asked, slowly stepping towards the fragile girl.

"You know," she mumbled, staring at the ground, "I'm not so sure about this."

Drew couldn't help but to notice how…empty she looked. Her eyes were puffy as if she had just been crying. He glanced away anxiously, wondering if he was doing the right thing. He looked back up into those sad, empty eyes; they reminded him of someone he used to know, and it nearly broke his heart in realizing it. He suddenly knew what he was going to do.

"C'mon May. Let's get out of here," he proposed, grabbing one of her hands. He locked eyes with her (she was blushing at this point) as he tugged at her arm, like a four year old would do to his mother before they left for the park. When she hesitated, he persisted. "I don't care if we go to Ash's wedding or Dairy Queen; we are getting you out of this house."

Quickly grabbing the prescription bottles from the table and shoving them in her bag, she rushed out of the door as Drew held it open for her.

As they were on their way out, Drew put on his sunglasses and paused in the doorway behind May. She turned around as she raised an eyebrow. "What?" she asked.

Drew decided not to press the subject, although he knew something was going on with May. "Nothing," he replied. "Let's get out of here," he said as the two young adults started walking towards the bus station.

* * *

**May 23, 2008; Cerulean City**

A sunny day couldn't brighten the sour mood of this Gym Leader. Not even the water could put out the blazing fire that threatened to destroy anything left in its path.

"LILY!" Misty yelled with enough strength to power a small hospital as she marched her way upstairs to her home. "I am going to kill you…" she muttered. Today had already been awful; why couldn't anything go right?

Misty had returned from a trip to the Pokémon Center to a nice, brown gift in the bottom of the gym's pool. The gym would lose a month's worth of revenue, alongside the extra costs of having it drained and refilled.

She inhaled deeply, held, and then exhaled as some of the tension lifted from her body.

For some reason the gym had been busier than usual for the ginger trainer. Misty was lucky if she got less than 5 challenges a day, which was exhausting for her and her Pokémon. AND, most of them wouldn't come until the end of the day, when both she and her Pokémon were worn.

On top of everything, she had received a wedding invite from Ash.

She.

Was

So

Pissed.

"Misty?" the second-oldest Waterflower questioned as she opened her door. "Why are you yelling?"

Misty fumed. "Your Pokémon shit in the pool!" she shouted, eliciting a small giggle from the pink haired trainer. "Don't mock me, Lily" the redhead threatened hastily. "I can't believe you forgot your Pokémon in the pool! I can't have Pokémon swimming in shitty contaminated water! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Misty," Lily sighed, "chill out. It'll be fine! Just shut down the pool for a day, clear out the poo, and you're good!"

"_Lily._"

The older girl twisted her pink hair, clearly uninterested. Lily rolled her eyes as she replied, "Oh, fine. A week! You'll be shut down for a week. Big deal. Your Pokémon could probably use a break anyways."

"Lily, we're going to have to shut it down for a month. Completely drain it. Clean it. Make sure nothing else is left here. Refill it, make sure it has the proper pH level. Let the temperature rise. THEN we can think about opening it up again." Misty fumed through gritted teeth. "All thanks to you NOT KEEPING AN EYE ON YOUR FUCKING POKÉMON."

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry!" Lily cried, taking a few steps back from the blazing fury that she knew as her sister. "I messed up! I'll help pay for the damages. I'll clean it out! Just-" she whimpered, tears threatening to spill from her eyes, "-please stop yelling at me!"

Misty took a step back. She didn't mean to make her sister cry…the 23 year old suddenly felt tears threatening to break their barriers. She cursed inwardly, praying that her sister wouldn't notice. Of course, Misty was a hard person; therefore, it was rare to see the strong woman cry.

"Mist, what's going on?" her older sister questioned. Misty felt herself losing control of her emotions.

She turned away, wiped her eyes, and said "I'm fine! It's just been a rough day…"

Misty couldn't stop thinking about the last time she had met with Ash. Two lines were haunting her mind and helping churn the frustration that was brewing within.

_"Mist, I don't know what I would do without you! You know I'll come back for you after my Unova journey." _

Then, as Misty took a deep breath, she fell to her knees, letting out a sob that could have broken the hardest of hearts.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Reviews are always appreciated :)


	3. Three

**May 25, 2008. Route 207 near Oreburgh City; 2:15 PM**

"Here's the last one," Paul grumbled as he gave his Torterra the last bit of food he had. "You're just going to have to wait until we get to Oreburgh City to eat."

His Torterra replied by pouting; then, he pulled an envelope out of Paul's back pocket.  
"Give me that," Paul growled, snatching it from his Pokémon's mouth. It was an invitation, from Ash Ketchum of all people!

He could care less about Ash Ketchum, let alone care about a wedding.

"Why would he invite me?" he muttered, kicking a stone out of his way. "Terra!" the continent Pokémon replied, jumping side to side, as if it were dancing.

Paul rolled his eyes. "Yeah, okay," he replied dryly, shoving the invitation in his back pocket. He had no intentions of going to this wedding. It didn't even say who Ash was marrying. He figured it was probably to that troublesome girl.

She annoyed the hell out of him. He thought was obvious that he wanted to be left alone. Everyone would oblige to that except for her. Dawn had even emailed him a few times, but he hadn't had a chance to read them because he was too busy.

She drove him nuts.

Whatever. It wasn't his problem.

Paul was heading towards Oreburgh City to have dinner with his brother Reggie after he finished his work in the mines. There had been a time where Paul lost much of his respect for his older brother, but he realized that having his brother as a breeder could be used to his advantage.

Also, Reggie really wasn't that bad. Paul had found Reggie's extensive research of raising Pokémon intriguing. Reggie just worked in the mines to bring in some extra cash to help fund his research. Paul actually enjoyed his visits with his brother (although he would never admit it), as they didn't happen as often as they'd both like. He was busy training, and Reggie was working in the mines or in his home.

Paul could finally see the mines in the distance. Torterra jumped up and down, the force causing the ground to shake a bit. Paul shook his head. "Cool it, Torterra, or I'll tell Reggie to keep that delicious PokeBlock away from you."

Torterra pouted, jutting out its lower lip. Paul rolled his eyes.

"Torterra, I just don't want _another _earthquake," he grumbled as he rubbed his Pokémon's side comfortingly. Paul began walking again, eager to see his brother.

"Terra!" the Pokémon called again, only this time, his tone was different.

"Torterra, I thought I said-"

There was no time to react. Paul stood in awe as a BOOM shook the entire forest, knocking the purple-haired trainer into his nearly 700 pound Pokémon.

Paul groaned as he rubbed his head from the impact with the giant Pokémon. Damn, that shell was hard…

His eyes widened as he saw his destination was lit by flames.

* * *

**May 25, 2008. Jubilife City. 2:45 PM.**

"What?! How?" Cynthia shouted into the phone. "How did this happen? Are there any people inside? What went wrong?"

"I'm not sure," Roark retorted, running a hand through his reddish hair. "All I know is that a portion of the mine collapsed. I think there was an explosion. Some of the workers got out, but the groups that got cut off were in the most populated sectors."

Cynthia took a shaky breath in. She didn't want to think about what had happened to those people. She could only pray that they were okay. "Were any regulations broken? I thought you were up to code," she accused.

"We ARE Cynthia," Roark sighed. "You KNOW how strict our regulations are and how we look out for safety first."

"Do you have any exact numbers?"

"I don't know" Roark repeated, his frustration finally showing coming through his voice. "I'll check out the roster for today's work schedule. We'll have to stop the power outflow; I know Oreburgh is powered completely by the mine. How long can Jubilife City go without our power?"

"A week? Maybe 10 days?" Cynthia replied. "We'll have to hold a press conference. The sooner the people know, the sooner we can start conserving power."

"We'll have to evacuate Oreburgh City," Roark mused. "I have no idea what this explosion released into the air, and I don't people to find out the hard way."

Cynthia mumbled a "Mhmm" as she grabbed a pencil and began to scribble some notes on to a napkin. "How soon can you get here?" she asked, tapping her pencil on the table.

"As much as I'd love to come, these people's safety comes first," Roark replied. "I need to find the source of the collapse and try to get everyone out."

Cynthia sighed. "Fine. So let's get this straight," she said, looking down at the list she had made. "Oreburgh Mine collapsed around 2:30 PM. Oreburgh's got to be evacuated; we'll open up shelters at the schools and the Pokémon Centers in Jubilife City, and I'll call some of the surrounding towns and try to get some help."

Cynthia picked up her pencil and added _"Call Pokémon centers and schools" _to her list.

She continued. "Possible explosion, but not sure what happened. Power must be conserved. We can keep radio broadcasts going. I'll check with the Devon Corporation and see if they can help out in getting the signal out."

_"Steven" _she added to the list.

"Isn't the Devon Corporation in Hoenn? What good does that do us here?" Roark nearly growled.

"Don't worry Roark, I've got connections," the Champion replied hastily.

"If you say so," he sighed. "There's going to be a lot of backlash. Prepare for the worst, Cynthia. I know you've worked hard to establish your position with the people. They trust you, but don't forget that their families are trapped. I've gotta go. Good luck."

And with a click, the call ended.

Cynthia took a deep breath as she set her phone down. She grabbed the list. There was so much for her to do…

The first thing she did was pull up Steven Stone's number.

"C'mon, pick up," she muttered, tapping her pencil impatiently.

"Cynthia?" a confused Steven replied as he looked at the time. She usually didn't call him until later in the evening.

"Steven," Cynthia stammered, "Hi. Oreburgh Mine's had an explosion so there's a partial collapse, and we need to evacuate Oreburgh and find somewhere for the people to stay and I need to hold a press conference and-"

"_Breathe,_ Cyn," the former Champion interrupted. "Did you call your Elite Four?"

Cynthia took the advised breath. "Lucian took the rest of the elite four on a 'Zen-searching' vacation, and they've all turned their phones off for the week." she grumbled, clearly frustrated with the poor timing of the trip.

"Okay. What do you need to do?" Steven asked.  
"Oh, I couldn't-"

"Cyn, tell me what I can help with," he sighed, grabbing a piece of paper and a pen.

"Well, I need to contact the schools and Pokémon Center so we can open them up for shelters." Her eyes drifted down her list. "Actually, I was wondering if you could help me with getting some battery operated radios and broadcasts coming through the city? We've got to shut down the mines, meaning no power for probably 10ish days." She bit her lip, hoping that this one thing would pull through…

"No problem," Steven said as he held his phone up with his shoulder while jotting down some information. "I'll call the Pokétch Company and get everything rolling; I'll also ask my assistant to call the schools and centers in the area."

Cynthia smiled. "You are the best," she sighed in relief.

"I know." Steven replied nonchalantly. "Now, I've got some calls to make, and you've got to organize a press conference, so I think I'm going to let you go."

"Thank you so much, Steven. I don't know what I'd do without you," she mused as she crossed a few things off of her list.

"No problem. Once I've got everything figured out on my end, I'm going to hop on the first flight out," he mumbled as he signaled his assistant to come over.

"Okay," she replied, forcing herself to regain her focus. Normally Cynthia would object to his sudden desire to come visit her, but she really needed the help. "Thank you again, Steven. Good luck."

"Keep the luck. You're going to need it."

* * *

Dawn hummed as she listened to Ellen on her TV as she packed. She grabbed her favorite dress from her closet and began to fold it before a sudden change in programming caught her attention.

"-Breaking news live from Oreburgh City, this is Reporter Kinsey here to bring you the latest on the Oreburgh Mine collapse." She perked in alarm as she rounded the couch and sat, leaning forward. She heard a knock on the door which she presumed was Zoey. "It's open!" Dawn shouted as she kept her eyes glued to the television screen.

"You know, you really shouldn't keep your door-" Zoey began before Dawn shushed her, gesturing for the redhead to sit next to her.

"What…" Zoey mumbled as an aerial view of the Oreburgh Mine showed multiple points of collapse. The "cleanest mine in Sinnoh" looked like a dump, smoke pouring from the breaches with firefighters and water Pokémon surrounding it.

"And now we turn to Sinnoh's Champion Cynthia Mahler for a press conference."

* * *

The blonde champion made her way to the front of the press conference. "I am here on behalf of Roark's mining agency to issue a state of emergency for the Oreburgh City area. Today we are hard at work to get these people and their Pokémon home to their families. It appears as if there was an explosion that triggered this disaster, but we don't have all the facts. We still have contact with some sectors of the mine, and those sectors are fine."

This statement was followed by an uncomfortable silence from the audience. There was no doubt that they were wondering about the other sectors…

The young champion swallowed her nerves, continuing.

"For the safety of the workers and their Pokémon, we are cutting off power from the company." A few members of the audience grumbled uncomfortably. "With the amount of power we currently use, we can last 10 days here in Jubilife City. Oreburgh City runs completely off of the mine, so their power will need to be completely cut off." There was a collective gasp from the audience before the outrage began.

"We need your cooperation to make this work." the champion helplessly yelled into the microphone, calming the disarray a bit. "Please refrain from the mine site, as dangerous chemicals may have been released into the air. Oreburgh City residents are to evacuate due to air quality concerns. We have shelters opening here in Jubilife City at the schools and Pokémon Center. Surrounding towns have also opened their doors to help. Please shut off all of your power except for essentials, like refrigerators and freezers via your power boxes before you leave.

"Jubilife City Residents: If you all use minimal amounts of power, we can last nearly twice as long," the Champion voiced to the disarray. "With the help of the Devon Corporation and Pokétch Company, we are going to keep a running radio broadcast and keep you up to date. Battery-operated radios are being shipped to your local Pokémon Centers and will be in this evening. We will be keeping a running broadcast on AM 1500."

"What about my brother? Is he alright?" an upset female shouted from the audience. "Do we know who's trapped yet?"

The champion shook her head. "Roark and a group of devoted workers are working on finding that out. We'll let you know as soon as we know; he's doing all he can do."

"All he can do isn't enough! We could have friends trapped!"

"I can assure you, miss, we are doing all we can."

"I thought we had Team Galactic under control!" another angry speculator shouter. Cynthia took a deep breath. "We do not have enough information about the event to even start pointing fingers. There has been no evidence of negligence via Team Galactic, but we cannot rule out anything at this point. All I can ask for is you open your hometown to your neighbors. With everybody's help, we can make this as smooth of a transition as possible. Thank you."

Cynthia exited the stage, knowing that there were many questions, but she knew her first priority needed to be getting these people home safe.

* * *

Thank you all SO MUCH for continuing to read! :D

Don't be afraid to leave a review ;)


	4. Four

**May 25, 2008. Cerulean City**

"Thanks man," Gary said to the bus driver as he hopped off of the bus in Cerulean City, his phone glued to his ear. "Leaf, this is ridiculous. If Misty's not the bride, there's no way she's even going to the wedding." he argued, clearly frustrated with the stubborn girl. "I don't even know if I want to go."

He thought this whole Ash getting married before him was a pile of bull. Ash was 23. Gary was 24 and didn't even have a girlfriend. _I guess that's what I get for being a researcher…_ he thought as he made his way past the PokeMart. At least he had one person to travel with. Leaf had reluctantly agreed to meet him in Saffron City later in the evening.

"Gary, this isn't about you," Leaf sighed into the phone. "You've known her for years; as long as you're not being a jerk, she should at least be receptive to going."

Gary furrowed his brow as he kicked a rock in his path. "Receptive? Misty?" he scoffed, shaking his head. "Yeah Leaf. Whatever. If she murders me, it's your body I'll haunt."

"Come on. At least she'll keep you in check," Leaf scoffed.

"Yeah, yeah." Gary turned the corner before the gym came up. "I'm almost there. I probably won't talk to you later because I'll be dead. If not, I'll see you later." He hung up his PokeNav and slid it into his jeans pocket.

He and Leaf had conversed quite a few times in the past few days, trying to solve the mystery of the unnamed fiancée. They were both surprised to find out it wasn't Misty, as she was the only one Ash had shown any interest in (besides Gary himself, of course). He always thought Ashy boy had had the hots for his bod, which was fine as hell, so Gary willingly welcomed his advances. In fact, he welcomed _anybody's _advances.

Before he walked to his fate, he decided to give Ash a call, which went straight to his voicemail inbox. Which was full.

"What the hell, Ash," Gary muttered, sliding his phone in his pocket. "You give me a wedding invite and you don't even call?" He looked at the invitation again, noting the date of the event-May 28th.

As he approached the Dewgong-faced building, he noticed a sheet of paper on the door. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the note was from none other than Misty.

_5/23-Closed until further notice-Misty_

Gary furrowed his brow. Out of all of the gyms in Kanto, the Cerulean City Gym was closed the least. Misty was very dedicated to her job. She was almost obsessive about her work. The last time the gym had closed was two years ago, when Misty and all of her sisters had gotten the flu (granted, that was only for a week). Gary had asked her out for drinks a few times, and she had always declined because of "work."

Gary turned the doorknob. As soon he pushed the door open, he heard the voice of the fiery redhead yelling (not to his surprise).

_"I'm not going!" _Misty yelled, her voice echoing throughout the gym. "And you can't make me!"

Gary finally was in sight of Misty and…Brock? Misty turned away and continued her rant. "Just because we've travelled together doesn't mean I support his decision to get married on a whim. I have no intentions of leaving the gym unmanned for a silly wedding."

"You mean you didn't close the gym to go to the wedding?" Gary interjected. Both Misty and Brock turned their attention towards the surprising addition to the group.

Misty scowled. "Gary Oak," she sneered her eyes narrowing. She crossed her arms. "What are YOU doing here?"

Gary shrugged as he sauntered over to the duo. He then turned to Brock. "Hey man, long time no see!" he said as he politely stuck his hand out for a handshake. Brock smiled and returned the gesture. "Hey Gary. What brings you out here?"

"Hello, I just asked that question!" Misty fumed, clearly annoyed at the friendly get-together the two males were having without her. In her home.

Gary pulled his hand away. "I was wondering-well, Leaf was wondering-if you wanted to accompany us to Ash's wedding, but it sounds like Brock beat me to the punch." He winked at Brock, who in turn frowned.

"I've been trying to persuade her into going for the last ten minutes," he sighed, running a hand through his spiky hair. "There's something fishy going on here, and it's not anything in this pool here."

Misty scowled. "I don't want to go with Brock. What makes you think I would want to go with you?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

Gary feigned being insulted. "Aww, Mist, I'm so hurt. I can't believe-"

"Save it, Oak." Misty spat. "I don't want to leave the gym for that long, that's all" she added, a little more quietly.

Gary frowned. "But the gym is closed. There's no reason for you _not_ to go."

"That's what I said," Brock added. Misty rolled her eyes.  
"Guys," Misty sighed as she wiped her forehead with her arm, "Lily's Pokémon pooped in the pool. We're shut down for a month for cleaning, draining, and all that fun stuff. I've got to stay here to supervise."

"No you don't," a familiar voice inserted. The trio looked up to see none other than Lily Waterflower walking down the stairs with a martini in her hand. Misty scowled. Gary noticed that this had seemed to be a common response to well, everything today. He decided now wasn't the best time to bring that up.

"Yes I do, Lily." Misty muttered. "Maybe if you would have taken responsibility I could have gone."

Lily rolled her eyes as she descended from the final step. "Yeah right Misty. Stop making excuses," she drawled, walking towards the group. "It's like, sooo not true. You know I can take care of everything here as long as you give me a list of very specific directions to follow." Misty quirked a brow. "Are you high?! I would never do that!" she objected.

Lily stuck a finger in her sister's face. "First off, I'm buzzed," she admitted as she leaned against the wall. "Second, you need to go to this wedding. I mean, what if Ash is in huge trouble? What if he, like, dies, and you were the only one who could save him?" She waved her free hand dramatically, careful to not spill her martini.

Misty shrugged her shoulders. "Tough, I guess?" she muttered as she bit her lip, a gesture that did not go unnoticed by the others.

Lily laughed sarcastically. "C'mon Mist, don't you live for this kind of thing? I mean, you read all those Nancy Drew books, right?"

Gary raised his brows, suppressing a chuckle that threatened to spill. "You love yourself a good mystery, do you? Well, Ash is getting married. Get your magnifying glass, missy," he teased, elbowing the redhead lightly. She glared at him before shoving her elbow into his ribs, eliciting a groan from the researcher.

"Come on Misty," Gary sighed, rubbing his side. "You're running out of excuses. Can't you just tell us you don't want to go so we can get on with our lives? Chances are this isn't even a wedding; it's probably Ash going after the Unova League Championship or something weird like that."

Misty didn't respond.

Defeated, Gary looked over at Brock. "Brock, I would be proud to accompany you to Ashy-boy's wedding. Celebi knows he needs all the support he can get."

Brock blushed. He turned to the sisters, shrugging. "I guess we'll see you around, Misty," he added. The two boys began to make their ways towards the door.

Misty groaned. "…wait, guys," she piped in. The duo turned to her. "Give me 20 minutes so I can get a list up for this negligent Pokémon owner and pack."

Lily smiled, then, the smile suddenly dropped. "Wait, I actually have to do work now?"

* * *

**May 25, 2008. Jubilife City; 5:00 PM**

Paul was standing in a painfully bleak room containing the basic kitchen essentials: a fridge, a stove, small countertop, microwave, coffee maker, a few cabinets, and a small, round table. Reggie's kitchen. He watched as his brother walked through the door to the stove. Reggie grabbed the coffee pot and poured out two cups.

"You know, you should do something about this kitchen. It's incredibly bland, even for my standards," Paul said as he made his way to the kitchen chair. Reggie rolled his eyes as he carried the steaming coffees over to the table. "Here," Reggie said as he offered one of the cups to Paul. He nodded in thanks, and sat down at the small table meant for two. Reggie respectively took his place in the other chair and picked up the newspaper. "I've got an egg bake in the oven for us. Kind of like the one our parents used to make," he said, ignoring his younger brother's insult. Paul nodded.

"I'm going to get some air," he muttered, making his way into the living room, where he kept his bag.

_Beep, beep, beep. _Reggie's kitchen timer was very basic.

"Reggie, can you get that?" Paul asked from the couch. He waited for a response, but got none. "Reggie?" he called, getting up.

Suddenly, the kitchen was filled with smoke. "Reggie?" he yelled again as the beeping got faster and the smoke got heavier. He could only faintly see the outline of his brother's figure. He ran towards him. "Reggie!"

Paul then froze in horror as he watched his brother begin to burn, not moving from his previous position of reading the paper. Paul looked up and saw a large crack in the ceiling. He then realized the roof was about to collapse. "REGGIE!" Paul screamed, frantically looking for anything to put water in, as the beeping got louder and faster. Only, he realized that he too was now surrounded by flames. His head began to pound and his ears started ringing. He looked up just as the ceiling collapsed on them.

* * *

Paul jumped up and gasped for air, only to be held down by a woman. "Get off of me!" he shouted, a sheet of cold sweat covering the boy's face.

"Paul, you're safe," a nurse reassured him as she pulled away. He looked up at her inquisitively, his chest rising and falling rapidly. His head was throbbing, and the beeping pierced through his already pained head. He looked over to his left and noticed a heart monitor flashing and beeping. He closed his eyes. "Can you turn that thing off?" he muttered as he rubbed his head. The reality of the dream had shaken him up quite a bit. His breath was unsteady, and his hands were shaking.

The nurse turned over to the machine and muted it. "Sorry about that, Mr. Robinson," she mused, moving over to her computer. "I can get you something for the headache in a bit." Paul looked around the hospital room. "How did I get here?"

The nurse typed something quickly on the computer. "Well, someone found you unconscious. They called an ambulance, and that's about it," she mused. "Your Pokémon are fine-they're hanging out in the center with Nurse Joy."

Paul frowned. He didn't remember getting knocked out. "Well, thank you for all you've done. I'll be leaving now," he said, pulling the blood pressure cuff off of his arm.

"Nope. You can't leave. You could have a concussion," the nurse said, leaving her computer to grab his chart. "First we have to do a concussion check, and then we can release you to someone who can monitor you for adverse effects." the nurse stated, setting her chart down.

He cursed inwardly. He only knew one person in Jubilife City, and that was his brother. "I'll pass," he stated bluntly as he turned over and leaned his legs over the side of the bed, only to be stopped by the nurse again.

"By law, we can't let you leave," the nurse persisted. "Anyone you'd like to call?"

Paul frowned. "Reggie Robinson, I guess. He should still be at work in the…" He trailed off as he recalled the fiery scene. "..the mine." He began to breathe heavily.

The nurse froze. She turned towards him. "How exactly did you get knocked out?" she asked, her eyes narrowing curiously.

Paul paused. "I watched something hit the mine. It blew me into Torterra's shell, and I don't really remember much beyond that."

The nurse nodded. She looked around the room and grabbed a pen and piece of paper. "What's his name again?" she asked. "I'll look him up in the system."

Paul sighed. "Regino Robinson." The nurse gave him a funny look. "He was supposed to be a Regina." he added, exasperated with the nurse's existence. He wished she would just leave.

She wrote the name down. "I'll let the doctor know you're up. It might be awhile. We're pretty full," the nurse noted as she walked out of the room.

Paul hoped that didn't mean what he thought it did.

When he was sure that she was gone for certain, he looked around for his belongings-his shoes and backpack were on a chair. He looked under the blanket-he was still fully clothed. He pulled the plug on the heart monitor and pulled all of the sticky probes off of his body. He slipped his shoes on in a hurry, before he grabbed his backpack and jacket and walked out of the room.

* * *

**May 26, 2008. Unknown Location.**

Iris felt something strange. Different. Maybe it was the deep throbbing of her head that made her feel sick. Or the cold, dull ache in her limbs. Like she was craving something she didn't know. As if she hadn't felt anything in months. Maybe she just needed a Lum Berry. She yawned and went to stretch her arms, but a rope restrained her. She slowly opened her eyes as panic began to incite itself. She noticed Cilan and Ash unconscious on the floor next to her. She also noticed a camera in the corner of the small room. "Cilan?" she croaked as adamantly as she could have with a strangled voice that hadn't been used in some time. How long, she was not sure. She noticed her feet were tied together as well.

She tried to remember the last place she was. She was in a flower field. Her mother was there.

Iris gulped. Her parents had been dead for years.

This was not good.

_Think. Think. Think. _

Iris squinted her eyes, as to appear as close to sleeping as possible, just in case someone was watching. She slowly scanned the room, as to not attract any more attention that she already may have done. Blue room with fluorescent lights. Door. Seemingly cheap tiled ceiling. Feet shuffling down the hallway.

As the door opened, Iris closed her eyes, silently praying that whoever was holding them wouldn't notice she was awake. She tried her best to put her meditation practices to use to slow her breath and heartrate.

"-and it's not like it matters anyways. They're unconscious. We've got them in hallucinogenic dreams, but to them, they feel like simulations. We'll wake them up eventually." a male voice said. "Isn't that unethical?" a higher voice-probably a girl, said. "I mean, they're already trapped. How do they eat?"

_Hallucinations? _Iris wondered.

"We inject them with sustenance as well. Listen here, girly," the man spat, "If you don't like how we do things, go talk to the boss. I don't know why he wants us to do this, but it must be important."

Iris heard some clunking and clattering before she felt something sharp going into her neck. She bit her tongue; she was terrified of what they would do to her if they discovered she was awake. '_In, out, in, out' _she mentally told herself as she tried to remain calm. The man then pulled the needle from her neck and she heard him clunking around again a few more times.

"Come on, shorty," the man called, probably to the girl? Iris wasn't sure. She felt a hand brush hers, and then the door slammed. Iris sighed in relief. She hadn't been caught.

Suddenly, a painful ringing sound filled her mind. She inhaled sharply as she opened her eyes, fighting the dizziness that clouded her reason. Her hands were no longer tied up. Iris groaned as she leaned up, her body heavy, the ringing dulling. She untied her legs and looked around.

They were sure to notice she had woken up. Iris didn't know who they were, but frankly, she didn't really care.

She just knew she had to get out of there.

Iris scanned the room for something-anything to use to block the door, but the only thing she had was her ropes and the two boys. She slid the rope in her pocket and crawled over to the wall, using it for leverage to stand up. She cried out loud and clutched her stomach as she felt a burning sensation, as if her whole torso was on fire. She took a few breaths, unmoving. The serum was starting to take effect. She had to fight it.

_Get out, Iris. _

Her heart was racing.

She stumbled over to Ash, and gave him a good shake, trying to wake him from his unconscious state. "Ash!" she whispered harshly, giving him a light slap in the face. Ash didn't wake, so Iris went and dragged his body to the door, leaning him onto it. She went back, and did the same with Cilan. If they didn't wake up from that, she figured they weren't going to wake up at all.

"Guys, I'm going to get help, okay?" Iris said quietly as she untied them both, sticking the extra rope in her pocket. She might need it later. She then began looking for ways to escape.

The door was obvious, but she knew that she'd be caught. She looked up and tiles lined the low ceiling.

That was her out.

"The girl's awake!" someone yelled from down the hallway, presumably. Iris knew this was her only chance, so she jumped to the ceiling, punching a couple ceiling tiles out of place, setting off a burning sensation in her gut again. "Agh!" she spat, forcing herself to her feet. She jumped again, and got a decent grip on the edge of the opening. Iris swung her legs back and forth to gain momentum to get up into the ceiling. She finally got her legs up into the other side of the opening and channeled the remainder of her energy in pulling herself up into the ceiling. She screamed as she pulled herself up, in the way that she had climbed trees in the past. This was considerably more difficult, as she had lost some muscle. Iris nearly fell when she heard the door being pushed open. _Please please please, _she prayed as she crawled away from the hole, looking for an escape.

She felt like the life was trickling from her_. The serum must have a sedative effect_, she thought as her eyelids began to droop. She had gone too far to stop now. She looked around and noticed a vent that looked like it went down, like a slide.

Her eyelids became heavy. "Only a few more feet," she muttered, pushing herself as hard as she could to the downward facing vent. Her only way out. She clenched her eyes shut, and when she opened them, she saw her mother in the vent. Iris' eyes widened, freezing in her place.

"Mom?" she asked, her heart sinking in her chest.

"Don't let her escape!" a man yelled. Iris snapped back to attention and continued crawling towards the exit. She wasn't even sure it was an exit. She just wanted her mother.

Iris cried as she fell to a shoulder, the pang of stomach pain being simultaneous with what sounded like a gunshot.

She wasn't hit, but it sure felt like she had been. Tears began welling into her eyes. "I can't do it," Iris whispered as tiny colorful orbs began to cloud her vision. "I can't."

_Come on, my sweet wildflower. You're almost done. Just a little bit further…"_ her mother chanted gently, opening her arms to the struggling girl.

Iris grunted and pushed herself up, dragging herself to the vent.

_Mom._

She finally reached her mother in the vent and went in to hug her-only it was an illusion, and she fell forwards into the vent, the serum finally forcing her eyes closed.


End file.
